Delivery device for pneumatic-dispatch tubes



Sept. 8, 1925.

J. G. MACLAREN ET AL DELIVERY DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBES Filed Feb. 18. 1922 I N V EN TOR. J's/v55 5i M904 HREN WLL/HMJHEPPERLE *"m f@ A T TORNEY.

Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES G'r. MACLAREN, OF MAMARO'NEOK, NEW YORK, AND WILLIAM J. HEPIPERLE, OF IBLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOBS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE LAM- SON COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MA SACHUSETTS.

DELIVERY DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC-DISPATCH TUBES.

Application filed February 18, 1922. Serial No. 537,418.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES Gr. MAQLAREN and WILLIAM J. I-Inrrnnnn, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Mamaroneck, in the county of l Vestchester and State of New York, and at Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Delivery Devices for Pneumatic-Dispatch Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to conveyors and dispatch apparatus and particularly to an apparatus for receiving and disposing of carriers in pneumatic dispatch apparatus. More specifically it relates to an apparatus by which carriers may be received by an operator or may at the will of the operator, be passed to a reserve operator.

In the operation of pneumatic dispatch apparatus, it is customary to direct carriers, containing money or other articles, from definite sources to a single operator, the work being so proportioned that each operator normally receives a number of carriers which it is within her capacity to handle and dispose of. It sometimes occurs, however, that carriers are received by an operator at a rate considerably above the normal and above that at which they can be conveniently taken care of by a single operator. hen this occurs the excess or surplus carriers received above the normal rate must be transferred to a reserve operator if delays and confusion are to be avoided.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple cheap and compact appara tus by which carriers may be received by an 'operator or may be passed to a reserve operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a single unitary receiver which may serve either as a receptacle for arriving carriers or as a delivery terminal to transfer carriers from the discharge end of a tube to a reserve operator.

IVith these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the apparatus described in the following specification and defined in the claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of an apparatus comprising a portion of a pneumatic tube, a belt conveyor and a receiver embodying a preferred form of the invention.

In the present invention the receiving element is movably positioned in relation to the.

discharge end of the pneumatic tube so that in one position it receives and holds the carriers at a point convenient for the operators,

and in another position discharges the overflow carriers to a reserve operator or to a conveying means by which they may be carried to a reserve operator. receiving element is preferably attached to the end of the discharge tube or chute by a collar rotatably mounted on the end of the tube in sucha manner that the receiver may be rotated about the axis of the tube. receiving portion of the receiver is so shaped or curved that when it is in one position, the

The

To this end the carriers are deflected onto abelt conveyor,

leading to a reserve operator, and when it is in another position, the carriers are retained in a position convenient to the primary operator.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the carriers 1 are dis charged through a downwardly extending discharge tube or chute 2 into a curved receiver 3 which is rotatably supported on the end of the tube 2 by means of a collar 4: integral with thereceiver and surrounding the end of the tube. The collar 4 is rotatably mounted on the tube so that it may be turned about the axis of the tube by the operator into the position shown in full lines or into the position shown in dot and dash line in the drawing. In the latter position the lower end of the receiver rests on a rim or ledge 6 of a bracket-shapedstop 7 which has an upwardly projecting rim or flange 8. The carriers discharged from the tube 2 slide down the curved portion of the receiver until they are stopped by the ledge 8 and are held on the receiver in a position convenient for their removal by the operator.

If the carriers are being discharged at a greater rate than they can be taken care of by the operator and form an unattended accumulation, the receiver may be rotated about the axis of the discharge tube into the position shown in the drawing in full lines.

'paratus.

rectly or through a suitable conveying ap- In the embodiment of the inven tion shown in the accompanying drawing the end of the receiver rests on a ledge 9* formingan element of a conveying apparatus and the carriers are discharged from the receiver onto a belt conveyor 10 which conveys them to the reserve operator. The receiver may'in this mannerbe rotated about the axis of the tube 2 by the operator to receive the normal supply of carriers or to dimet the overflow to a reserve operator. When the operator has disposed of the accumulated carriers, the receiver may be rotated baok to nor'n'i al position until a new;

accumulation of un'att'i-inded carriers is:

formed whereupon the receiver may be posi} lZIQllBCl' to direct the overflow to the reserve carr er.

. dispatch tube, and a delivery nozzle for the discharge end of; the tube adapted to bein'oved to eient delivering positions While oonsta'ntly maintaining its receiving end incooperative, elation to the discharge end ofth'e dispatch tube; I I I II 231F11 pheui ijc dispatch apparatus,' s

dispatch ube, and a delivery nozzle for the dis harge/ nd? ofthe tube, said delivery noz zle being rotatable to a plurality of del iv ering positions while constantly maintai ni'ngits r eoeivingieiid in cooperative rela'tio'ii to the delivery end of the dispatch tube. V II I r I 3f. In pneumatic dispatch apparatus, a" dispatch tuhe, aind a delivery nozzle for thetub e'p said delivery nozzlebeing fre'eto rotate" and manually rotatable to a plurality of delivering" positions I a I I tilnftpne'umatic. dispatch apparatus; a

. disp atc h tube, a delivery member vpiv otally mountedoii the end ofthe tube" and imam be turned to di'lferent delivery positions.

5 In" pneumatie dispatch apparatus; a dispateh tube a combined deliverva'ni'il receiving membenpivotally carried by the tube said member being curved at its lower end and having a delivery opening in its concave side, said member being free to rotate about the axis of the dispatch tube to a plurality of operating positions.

a-rhe combination with the discharge end of a pneumatic dispatch tube of a receiver adapted in one position to receive and hold a carrier and in another position to transfer carriers from said delivery tube to aremoving means. I

7. The combination with a delivery end of a pneumatic dispatch tube of a receiver manually movable into a position to receive" andhold a carrier from said tube and into another position to tra'nsfer carriers from said tube to a removing means. I

8'. The combination with the discharge end of a pneumatic tube and a conveyor means, of a receiver rotatableabout the axis of said tube and arranged" in] one position to hold carriers from saiditube and in another position t'o' transfer carriers" from said tube to saidfconveyormeans.

9.- The combination with the discharge end of a pi'i'eumaticdi'sp'atch tube io f a con veyor means, a stop and a curi' ed receiver positioned to be rotated aboutthe axis of said tube into engagement with said stop:

to receive and'hold carriers" from said tube and to be rotatedjabout said axis to deliver carriers to said conveyor meaf sg I 1Q, The combinat on of a discharge end of'a" pneumat c dispatch tube,a conveyor means beitw said discharge end, a stop and" a" combined' receiver and deflector rotatahly connected to the end of said tube and adapt;

ed to be rotated into cooperative position with sa d stop to receive" and retaincarriers and to lie-rotated into another position to pass carriers from said tube to said con vey'or means. 7 I I I I 1 1". In dispatch apparatus, the ,combi'-' nation of'a discharge tube, a receiver hav ing' a I collar" rotatably mounted on said tube, a conveyor means, said receiver being rotatable about said tube to aypositioa' to receive and hold a carrier from-said discharge tube and toanother position to pass carriers from said t'ube tosai'd'conveyor means;

12. In" a pneumatic dispatch apparatus, the combinatioiiw'ith the discharge end of a pneumatic dispatch tube, of a receiver rotatably niountec'l in relation tosaid' tube and adapted'in' one position receive and h'old'a carrier from said tube and in art other position" to passcarri'er's from said; tube to a reserve operator.

JAMES G. MKCLABEN. p VVIIJLIAl'I J HEPPEBIQE, 

